take on
verb
took on; taken on; taking on; takes on
1
a
: to begin to perform or deal with : undertake
took on new responsibilities
b
: to contend with as an opponent
took on the neighborhood bully
3
a
: to assume or acquire as or as if one's own
the city's plaza takes on a carnival air—
W. T. LeViness
W. T. LeViness
b
: to have as a mathematical domain or range
what values does the function take on
: to show one's feelings especially of grief or anger in a demonstrative way
she cried, and took on like a distracted body—Daniel Defoe
Daniel DefoeExamples of take on in a Sentence
will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate
decided to take her on as store manager
Recent Examples on the Web
The figure of Achilles, a warrior who singlehandedly choked a river with dead enemies before taking on the river god himself, provided a model for Alexander the Great and persists in contemporary popular entertainment, political speech, and military culture in celebrations of shock and awe.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Sacrament takes on the next crisis to strike the inland empire, COVID-19.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Yoon, who took on a minority investment from Sandbridge Capital in 2020, described her bespoke approach to formulation as a combination of grit and working beyond the skin care industry.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Tranter’s Bad Wolf production outfit, which was given the keys to the Doctor Who contract when Davies took on showrunning duties for a second time, will produce the Christmas special.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take on
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Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Sacrament takes on the next crisis to strike the inland empire, COVID-19.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Yoon, who took on a minority investment from Sandbridge Capital in 2020, described her bespoke approach to formulation as a combination of grit and working beyond the skin care industry.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Tranter’s Bad Wolf production outfit, which was given the keys to the Doctor Who contract when Davies took on showrunning duties for a second time, will produce the Christmas special.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take on
Cite this Entry
“Take on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20on. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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